Automatic inflator device for expandable structures

ABSTRACT

AN INFLATOR DEVICE FOR RELEASING INFLATING MATERIAL FROM A PRESSURIZED CONTAINER TO INFLATE A STRUCTURE, THAT IS ACTUATED BY HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE TO EFFECT DISSOLVING OF SOLUBLE TRIGGERING MEANS TO CAUSE RELEASE OF THE INFLATING MATERIAL WHEN THE DEVICE IS IMMERSED TO A PREDETERMINED DEPTH IN WATER AND METHOD OF INFLATING THE DEVICE.

Feb. 20, 1973 w. J. MIDDLETON, JR, EI'AL 3,716,882

AUTOMATIC INFLATOR DEVICE FOR EXPANDABLE STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 5, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS I WILL/AM J M/DDL7'0/V,JR.

FRED P SNYDER Feb.. 20, 1973 3,716,882

AUTOMATIC INFLATOR DEVICE FOR EXPANDABLE STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 5, 1970 W. J. MIDDLETON, JR, ET'AL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I20 I20 ON mm w M J M M L M IW FRED P SNYDER Feb. 20, 1973' w. J. MIDDLETON, JR, ETA!- 3,716,832

AUTOMATIC INFLATOR DEVICE FOR EXPANDABLE STRQQTURIS Filed Aug. 5, 1970 I v I 4'Sheets-Sheet s I. INVENTORS W/LL/AM .1 M/00LEr0/v, JR. FRED F? SNYDER r 3,716,882 'IAUTOMA'IIICJNFLATOR DEVICE FOR EXPANDABLETRUCTURES I Filed Aug. 5. 1970 4 Shee'ts-Shet INVENTORS WILL/AM J MDDLETOM-JR FRED P SNYDER United States Patent 3,716,882 AUTOMATIC INFLATOR DEVICE FOR EXPANDABLE STRUCTURES William J. Middleton, Jr., Felton, and Fred P. Snyder, Dover, Del., assignors to ILC Industries, Inc., Dover,

Del.

Filed Aug. 5, H70, Ser. No. 61,454 Int. Cl. B63c 9/24 US. Cl. 9-314 19 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An inflator device for releasing inflating material from a pressurized container to inflate a structure, that is actuated by hydrostatic pressure to effect dissolving of soluble triggering means to cause release of the inflating material when the device is immersed to a predetermined depth in water and method of inflating the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to devices for automatically inflating gas-expandable structures, such as a life vest, when the devices are immersed to a predetermined depth in water.

Description of the prior art The prior art provides for inflator devices that are triggered by Wetting action of water and consequently until time of use must be kept dry and protected from water action which might release the inflating material. Such structures lack versatility since it is apparent that premature wetting suflicient to release the inflating material may render such devices useless for the time of their greatest need.

In accordance with the invention it has been found that a reliable, simplified inflator device can be produced by a novel combination of units cooperating to give a versatility heretofore lacking in automatic inflator devices by a construction providing for triggering release of the inflating material as a result of dissolving of soluble means that is maintained protected from the dissolving or wetting action of water that may come in contact with the device, until it is actuated by a predetermined hydrostatic pressure. Accordingly, this invention contemplates an automatic inflator device for inflating structures adapted to be operatively connected with an inflating material container and having a container opening means held from container opening action by water soluble restraint means that is maintained sealed against wetting by a pressure responsive restraint protecting means. The protecting means prevents water from contacting the soluble restraint element until the device is immersed to a predetermined depth when hydrostatic pressure moves the protecting means permitting water to come in contact with the restraint element and dissolve it and thus providing trigger actuation of the container opening means for release of the inflating material to the structure to be inflated.

Advantageously, the inflator device can be adapted to receive and hold a container of the inflating material in position to be punctured by a biased piercing means type of container opening means that is held in fixed position by the restraint element and the protecting means constructed as a pressure responsive valve covering over the restraint element. Immersing the device to its water pressure actuating depth can then be effective to cause valve opening and exposing of the restraint element to water dissolving it which triggers actuation of the container opening means to effect release of the inflating material.

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The inflator device can be to advantage operatively attached to an inflatable life vest for automatically inflating it by immersion of the vest to the required depth in water This automatic inflation is particularly valuable when the wearer of the vest at the time of immersion is unable to actuate the inflator device manually. It is of particular benefit that the inflator device is protected from accidental inflation because of the requirement that a hydrostatic head of water must be present to cause the actuation of the device. This prevents the device from being actuated by being in wet surroundings which are normal to life vest storage and use and eliminates the need for waterproof protection of the inflator device until use is desired.

The inflator device of this invention beneficially may have a bellows means responsive to hydrostatic pressure that is normally held by pressure biasing means to a closed position sealing over the restraint element from water contact at the point or points where water is admissible into a sealed portion of the inflator device formed thereby and that holds the soluble restraint element. Thus when the hydrostatic head of water is greater than the biasing pressure the bellows means is moved to an open position thus allowing water to contact the soluble restraint or release element and dissolve it. Also it has been found an advantage to provide in the bellows a small air bleed hole so that when the hydrostatic pressure compresses the bellows to an open position the action is against the pressure biasing means thus making the sensitivity to pressure more accurate and responsive.

Advantageously, the inflator device of this invention may have a plurality of inflating material containers operatively connected to a like plurality of biased container opening means held against actuation by a water soluble opening means restraint element so that upon hydrostatic pressure moving or opening of the restraint protecting means a large amount of inflating material can be discharged. This arrangement provides for the use of small conventional inflating material containers and still obtains the necessary amount of inflating material without going to large containers.

Also, the inflator device may have manual operation means as an override to the hydrostatic pressure holdout function of the device for actuating the container opening means so that the device may be inflated without immersion to the depth in water where the hydrostatic pressure sets the mechanics of the device in motion.

Simplicity and versatility for use are greatly favored by construction Within the contemplation of this invention in which the container piercing means is maintained in cocked position by a sear-like restraint pin means held against movement by the soluble restraint element. Both the pin means and piercing means in such arrangement advantageously can include cooperating camming surfaces which provide for automatic operation when triggered and manual forcing of the piercing means past the pin means compelling it to rupture or displace the soluble restraint element so as to cause the device to be actuated for release of the inflating material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and further advantages and objects of the invention will become more apparent from an understanding of the annexed description and drawings depicting preferred embodiments of the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a life -vest employing an inflator device of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of the automatic inflator device taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in section through the inflator taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing in solid lines its internal mechanism cocked ready to be actuated and in broken lines the paths for entry of water and the position of the mechanism after its actuation by hydrostatic pressure;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the device after actuation by the manual operation means or override.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device at its portion containing the piercing point which is shown in the position of FIG. 4 after rupture through the 1nflating material container seal and showing the outlet passages for the inflating material to escape from the container;

FIG. 6 is a view in section through an alternate embodiment of the device;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the device providing for use of dual containers of inflating material;

FIG. 8 is a view in section through the device of FIG. 7 taken along line 88 thereof; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary schematic view through a portion of the device of FIG. 7 as taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 showing the manual operation means therefor.

DESCRIPTION With reference to the drawings, an automatic inflator device of this invention is indicated in general by the numeral 20. The device is shown operatively connected to a container 22 ready to be opened thereby. The container, when, charged, holds a supply of expandable inflating material (not shown) in readiness to be discharged through the device into three inflatable buoyancy cells 24 of an expandable or inflatable life vest 26 through inflation tubing 28 operatively connected thereto. The vest represented is partly broken away in the drawing to show the connection of the tubing into the cells and has a pair of shoulder straps 32 and waist straps 34 that can be tied around the wearer.

Device 20 is an assembly having an elongated tube-like housing 38 open at both ends with a smooth axial bore 40' for containing centrally therein the mechanism of a container opening means generally indicated at 42. One end of the bore is closed by an assembly providing a manual actuation or operation means 44 so the device can be actuated by hand when desired. At its other or outward end the bore defines an axially directed open and threaded recess 46 that forms a connector means for attaching container 22 and an inwardly directed seating shoulder 48 for receiving and retaining seated against a seating gasket 47 therein the mouth of the inflating material container 22 which is provided around its neck with mating threads to those in recess 46. The threads of the recess hold the container and a seal 50 thereof that normally blocks release of the inflating material axially aligned with the bore ready for release of the inflating material by piercing of the seal by the opening means when the device is actuated.

At one side of housing 38 and integral therewith is a round, housing enlargement or cup 52 having a flat bottom wall in open communication with the interior of bore 40 by a trigger pin aperture 54 defined through the wall of the housing. Fitted into the bottom of the inner portion of the cup 52 is a container opening means triggering means or mechanism 56 which includes a sear or trigger pin 58 normally held against any container opening triggering movement by a trigger element for the device which is a soluble restraint element or disc 60. The disc is formed from a paper-like substance, for example, a carboxyl cellulose which is rapidly weakened and dispersed and dissolved away by contact with water but has good strength and stability when dry. A substance of this nature that has been found suitable for use with this invention is a cellulose polymer solid under the name Dissolvo by the Gilbreth Company of Philadelphia, Pa. Fitted also into the upper or outer portion of the cup is a hydrostatic pressure operated automatic device actuating means or mechanism 62 that incorporates a flexible bellows means or diaphragm 64 of rubber-like or plastic material.

The container opening mechanism or means 42 utilizes a force biased piercing pin or means 66 slidable in bore 40 on an integral, generally solid, piston-like barrel 68 sealing thereagainst by an O-ring 70 fitted into a groove girdling the piston. Ahead of the barrel 68 piercing pin 66 is provided with a hollow piercing point 72 having a bevel cut tip for cutting through and rupturing seal 50 on the container upon operation of the device. Communicating With the base of the central hollow formed in the piercing point is a hollow crossbore 74 defined laterally through the outer end of the piercing pin so that inflating material can enter bore 40' via the crossbore when released into the point 72. through its open tip. A pair of inflating material escape openings 76 provide for the material to pass out of housing 38 into exit passage 78 defined therein and into the life vest through the tubing 28 connectable therebetween, thereby providing a connector means for the structure to be inflated.

It can be observed that the piercing pin contains a notch 80 defined in a side of its barrel 68 which provides for wedge locking this pin against axial movement. The axially directed rearward side of the notch contains an angled surface or cam 82. The piercing pin is normally held in a fixed position cocked or retracted towards the rear or manual operation end of the bore by engagement into the notch of the trigger pin 58. When so held, the piercing pin is biased towards its container piercing position by a piercing pin actuating spring 84 that surrounds the rearward directed end of the pin and engages between the barrel 68 and a manual operation hammer 86.

Hammer 86 forms a part of the manual operation means 44 and slidably seals in the rearward end of bore 40 by an O-ring seal retained in an annular groove around the hammer. The hammer also has a forwardly directed hammer recess which freely receives the narrowed rear end portion of the piercing pin giving it support and alignment. The rearward end of the hammer is also narrowed to extend into a recess in a closure element 88 that covers the rearward end of bore 40 and is held to the housing 38 by a union nut 90. As part of the manual operation means nut 90 supports a clevis 92 each arm of which journals a lever fulcrum shaft 94 to support an angled lever 96 therebetween so it can be manually pivoted about the shaft by pulling on a float 97 attached to a lanyard 98 in turn attached to the free end of the lever. The pivoted end of the lever has a cam-like head 100 configured to depress the hammer 86 inward when the lanyard is pulled to swing'the lever and is thus available to override the hold-out function of trigger pin 58 by the cam action which forces it axially in bore 40. When this is done the trigger pin is pushed out of notch 80 to fracture the restraint element 60 so bias force from actuating spring 84 can cause pin 66 to pierce seal 50 to release the inflating material.

The trigger pin 58 is slidable in a cup-like bushing 104 having a necked down portion press fitted into the trigger pin aperture and for which purpose pin '58 has a narrow neck 106 and a larger piston head 108 for engaging against a substantial portion of the surface of the disc 60. The neck of the trigger pin is provided with cam surface or bevel 110 which allows the trigger pin to be forced out of bore 40 by sliding cam action of cam 82 on bevel 110. It can be seen that soluble disc 60 underlies the trigger pin holding it in notch 80 above the rim of the bushing, these parts being held in place by an annular compression washer 112 and a valve ring 114 when this ring is screwed into the inner base of cup 52. It will also be seen that the outer directed base of the ring has a raised valve seat '116. This valve seat is normally closed over by the flexible bellows or diaphragm 64 which is backed by a support plate 118 thereby forming a valve head or piston 120. The edge of the bellows is seen to form a rolling convolute and is held in cup 52 by a bellows holding ring 122 when a bellows cap 124 is screwed into the open end of the cup so as to hold the ring and bellows in place. Hydrostatic pressure-responsive biasing means for the piston in the form of a helical valve spring 126 engages between the support plate and the cap so as to seat the bellows firmly against the valve seat 116 unless moved away from the seat by hydrostatic pressure from water contacting diaphragm over the exposed face of the piston formed by the supported portion of the bellows. The construction provides a valve head that is a pressure sensitive piston assembly which will open the valve and expose the disc to water after immersion to a predetermined depth where hydrostatic pressure can overcome the biasing of the valve spring 126.

Water contact over the piston 120 is provided for by defining orifices or water passageways 128 or paths through sides of the cap 52 where water can enter and act on the bellows so that hydrostatic pressure will be present at the valve formed by the valve seat and the piston whenever the device is immersed. Entrances to the passageways are covered by a ring-like shield 130 spaced by lugs thereon outwardly from the sides of the cap to form water entranceways 132 leading to the passageways 128 when the lugs are snapped into an annular groove ringing the cap. It will now be apparent that this construction provides over the soluble disc a protective waterproof chamber 134 having a removable cover for its opening defined by seat 116, produced by the piston 120 which forms a pressure responsive sealing means. Disc 60 is thus maintained dry at all times against its outside environment even under conditions exposing device 20 to water so long as it is not submerged at least to the triggering or actuating water depth where suificient hydrostatic pressure is present to bias the piston or valve head away from the valve seat which allows water to contact the soluble disc means. A small pressure relief hole or air bleed opening 138 is defined through the center of the bellows and its support plate for air relief and equalizing air pressure between the compartment between the piston and the bellows cap and the chamber 134 for good valve opening and response in operation.

The method of operation of the preferred embodiment described above is best indicated in FIG. 3 and is believed now apparent from the foregoing description. Briefly, the device is prepared for use by retracting the hollow piercing pin or means 66 to the position there shown, biasing spring 84 and with cap 124 and the parts containable therein removed, trigger pin 58 is inserted through aperture 54 into notch 80 so bevel 110 engages against cam 82 in the piercing pin. The soluble disc 60 is placed over or against the face of the enlarged trigger pin head and the bushing 104 as shown. Compression washer 112 and the annular valve ring 114 are then placed thereover and the ring screwed tightly into place which locks the piercing pin out of container opening position by the strength of the disc 60 holding trigger pin .54 in the notch. The piston assembly of valve spring 126 and the bellows 64 backed by its plate 118 is then assembled into the cap 124 together with the compression ring 122 and screwed in place in cup 52 so spring 126 biases piston 120 tighter against valve seat 116 to protect and keep dry the disc 60 by sealing chamber 134 against entry of water. Thereafter, the ring-like shield 130 is snapped into place over the cap completing preparation of the device. A container means 22 charged with inflating material and sealed can then be positioned into recess 46, ready to be opened when the device is actuated or caused to operate.

It will be appreciated that the manual operation lever 96 during this assembly is retained in non-operating posi tion as best shown in FIG. 2 in which position it can be sealed against accidental manipulation by a soft copper wire seal 142 holding the lever to the housing in noncontainer-opening position. With the device thus readied and installed on a life vest to inflate it as indicated in FIG. 1, should the wearer topple overboard so the device sinks to the pre-set actuation depth, determined by the modulus of valve spring 126, its biasing force will be overcome by hydrostatic pressure of water entering through entranceways 132 and passageways 128 so as to press the piston 120 away from its valve seat to the position indicated by broken lines in FIG. 3. This allows water to enter chamber 134 and immediately dissolve the soluble disc 60. Should this happen, the trigger pin 58 is then free to be moved by cam action out of notch by sliding in bushing 104 out of aperture 54 under biasing force from actuating spring 84. It will be apparent that 82 acting against bevel presses the trigger pin out of bore 40 and so that further expansion of this spring forces piercing pin 66 to the left in FIG. 3 as indicated there in broken lines. (Similar action as a result of manual action of the device is shown in FIG. 4.) The action drives piercing point 72 to cut through or rupture seal 50 which allows the inflating material to escape from within the container 22. Infiating material then passes through point 72 and cross-bore 74 into bore 40 escaping therefrom through escape openings 76 into exit passage 78. Since at the time of installing device 20 on the life vest inflation tubing 28 is connected between the exit passage and the cells 24 of the life vest, the vest is thus automatically and immediately inflated without any manual action by the wearer of the vest.

Should manual operation be desirable, the manual restraint seal provided by wire seal 142 can be easily broken by manually grasping lanyard 98 by its float 97 and pulling it to raise lever 96 to the position where its cam head 180 depresses hammer 86. This action forces piercing pin cam 82 over bevel 110 causing trigger pin 58 to move out of aperture 54 and displacing or fracturing through the dry soluble disc and thereby releasing the trigger pin 58 from its notch 80 in the piercing pin. On this occurring actuating spring 84 is etfective to force the point end of the piercing pin through the seal 50 in the container to release its inflating material (see FIG. 4).

An alternate construction is shown in FIG. 6 wherein parts having like function to those of the previously described embodiment are referred to and designated by the same reference characters with addition of the letter a which are believed not to require further description with reference to this embodiment since their operation is substantially similar to that in the foregoing description. Thus, the bore 40a contains opening means for a container (not shown) in which the piercing pin 66a has a replaceable screw-in type point 72:: of solid construction and a hollow tubular guide 200 which receives the actuating spring 84a to provide for smooth guiding of the piercing pin in its movement to open the container. Piercing pin 66a also has its position locking notch 80a constructed as an annular inward tapering groove so that the trigger pin 58a can be received therein at any rotational position of the piercing pin within bore 40a.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6 it can be seen that there is a tubular extension 202 extending outward from the main body of housing 38a and defining the trigger pin aperture 54a. This allows for a removable cup 52a which contains the pressure sensitive actuating means 62a to be screwed onto the housing by its cup extension 204 which provides for ease of manufacture and assembly. In this instance the shield 130a has its lugs turned channel-like to engage by spring or press fit over the cup extension, and the cup has an inwardly directed shoulder forming the valve seat 116a. In this construction, the cup has a long skirt 206 which provides for the bellows cap 124:: to have considerable depth and thus form a closed bellows or diaphragm chamber or compartment defined between piston and the cap that accommodates a valve spring 126a.

There is also present in this embodiment a bellows means 64a in the form of a diaphragm having an integrally formed thick enlargement or valve disc 208 which provides a substantial resilient mass for long wear and tight closure without damage to the diaphragm. The waterproof chamber 134a places the soluble disc 60a adjacent to valve disc 208 for immediate water contact on the disc to cause its dissolution when the valve is opened. Also, the valve disc surface has a bevelled seating face to provide a tight waterproof sealing against seat 116a. It can be seen further that the outer periphery of the diaphragm between the periphery of its support plate 118a and its connection between an annular shoulder formed in cup 52a, and cap 124a, is angled to accommodate a sufiicient apron of diaphragm material to provide the minimum required travel of the diaphragm or bellows means which will unseat the valve means, provided by piston 120a, its disc 208 and seat 116a so that the device is quickly responsive to hydrostatic pressure to dissolve disc 60a whenever the triggering value of water pressure is reached.

A valve disc screw 210 is provided to hold valve disc 208 to its underlying plate and both the valve disc or head and its support plate have a central aperture defined therethrough to receive the valve disc screw 210. The screw itself is provided with a small pressure relief and equalizing hole 138a to compensate for pressure discontinuities between the bellows compartment and the chamber 134a as in the previous embodiment. A pressure compensating means is operatively connected with the bellows means in the form of a filter-like breather means 212 that prevents liquid passage therethrough and accommodates rapid barometric pressure changes that may be present in the external ambient environment for accurate automatic actuation of the device by transfer of gaseous pressure through cap 124a without entrainment of liquid therethrough.

Operation of the device as shown in FIG. 6 is substantially the same in both its automatic and manual modes of operation as for the case of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 5. It will be appreciated however that the piercing point 72a provides a configuration for escape over its external surface of inflating material from the container for passing directly therefrom to bore 40a and into escape openings 76a and an exit passage 78a (not shown) substantially identical to those of FIG. 5.

In FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 is shown operative mechanism for an inflator device 20b according to a further embodiment of the invention wherein two containers of inflating material may be simultaneously held thereby and automatically opened by immersion of the device to the required depth to produce the actuating or triggering hydrostatic pressure. For simplicity with reference to this embodiment similar parts to those shown in the foregoing embodiments are indicated by the same reference characters with the addition of the letter b. Thus, device 20b has a composite housing 38b having two tubular housing portions 300 containing a bore 40b that have therein a piercing pin 66b biased by an actuating spring as means for opening the containers as in the foregoing embodiments. The housing also has a hollow cross tube 302 and an auxiliary housing portion 304 adapted to receive the necks of two individual pressure bottles or containers 22b charged with expandable inflating material retained therein by seals provided over the mouths of the containers. The cross tube provides for operation therein of a pair of generally cylindrical cam members 306 normally maintained spaced apart when the opening means are cocked by the generally cylindrical trigger pin 58b. For this purpose, each of the piercing pins 66b is provided with an annular beveled notch 80b normally engaged by one of the pair of oppositely directed cam members 306 to lock the piercing pins away from container opening movement. The cam members have frusto-conical beveled cam surfaces at each opposite end thereof with the outwardly directed beveled surfaces mating against the beveled surfaces provided in the notch 80b and their inner directed beveled cam surfaces engaged by the like beveled end of the trigger pin that enter the crossbore through an aperture defined therein and is held at its larger end by the dry soluble disc 60b.

It can be seen that a cup 52b forms a part of housing 38b and has therein pressure responsive actuating means 62b with a bellows or diaphragm means sealed piston type valve means similar to that in the embodiment of FIG. 6. An exception is that its bellows means 64b is a diaphragm having a raised corrugation 310 providing for sufficient flex in responding to the hydrostatic pressure actuation when the device is immersed to unseat a large thick valve disc 208b thereon so as to expose or uncover the soluble restrain element to water dissolution on slight valve unseating movement of the valve piston 120b. The

cup 52b is closable by a cap 124b as heretofore to bias the valve spring 126b which closes the valve formed by the central piston capping disc 208b and the valve seat 116b when there is insuflicient hydrostatic pressure to open the valve and expose the soluble disc.

The manual operation means 44b of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, is similar in function to that of the foregoing embodiments, each housing portion 300 being attached by a union means to an enclosure 301 housing manual operating means 44b. The outward ends of the piercing pins 66b have cam-like ends extending into a tubular track means within the enclosure. At one end of this track is a wedge-action ball 96b which has the lanyard 98b attached to it for pulling it in the track. The ball can be operated to actuate or fire device 20b by hand-pulling of the lanyard so as to cam sequentially against the adjacent ends of each pin 66b which moves the piercing pins in their bores 40b so as to force the conical bevel or cam surfaces in the notches of the piercing pins 66b to cam against the trigger elements or cam members 306 moving them out of their operation locking positions in the respective notches b. Members 306 are thereby sequentially forced axially towards one another against the conical bevel or cam surface of the inner end of the trigger pin. This movement is effective when a single piercing pin 66b is so actuated to force its cam member 306 out of its notch and the trigger pin through the dry soluble disc moving it out of the way and forcing the trigger pin out of the cross tube 302 against piston 1201). This also frees the other piercing pin for container opening movement. Each of the actuating springs 84b around each piercing pin 66b can then drive its piercing pin through a respective seal of the inflating material containers to result in discharge of the material therefrom by manual opening means.

Automatic operation of the device 20b of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 is similar to the manual operation above described except that the lanyard is not used and operation is actuated by the immersion of the device actuating pressure depth. At such time piston 12% opens the valve obturating chamber 134b and inrushing water dissolves disc 60b. The expansion force of the respective actuating springs 84b in the bores of tubular housing portions 300 that bias the respective piercing pins causes the cams in notches 80b to force cam members 306 out of their locking positions in the notches and moving trigger pin 58b from between these members towards the piston b. Further expansion of springs 84b then pushes the points of the piercing pins through the container seals which releases the inflating material for conveyance through a passageway into the structure such as a bladder means to be expanded. The passageway in the housing 38b is similar to the passageway in housing 38 which is formed by the hollow piercing point 72, crossbore 74, escape openings 76 and exit passage 78.

It has been found that when any of the devices 20, 20a or 20b are installed for use on a life vest type of flotation equipment, the valve spring biasing the piston or valve head that protects the soluble disc may have a compression modulus suitable to set the device for hydrostatic pressure actuation at the desired depth. In practice, good operation has been obtained with the device when this setting exceeds an operational depth of from about foot of water or from about .0125 available hydrostatic pressure or head to open the valve and expose the soluble disc. A particularly advantageous hydrostatic pressure range at which the device has been found to operate well and inflate an expandable life vest is from about 1 /2 to about 2 /2 feet of water depth or from about .75 to about 1% p.s.i.g. water pressure.

It will be appreciated that the soluble disc restraint or trigger element can be sized and have a thickness to give the necessary strength that is suitable for the biasing force of the actuating spring selected to operate the piercing pins, internal friction within the device, and the solubilizing effect of water action on the disc so that the trigger pin and/or the other elements holding the piercing pin against container opening movement will be reliably retained in looking position until the disc is dissolved after valve opening. With construction according to this invention, the device is reusable by resetting after an initial use or actuation by replacing the dissolved away soluble restraint or release element with a new restraint element that is dry and the device re-cocked and supplied with a charged container of inflating material as will be apparent.

In general the device can be fabricated by casting and/ or other forming or machinery suitable metals and pro vided with the necessary seals and gaskets. The diaphragm or bellows can be formed from any suitable flexible material that can withstand the action of water and produce the edge rolling convolute effect as in FIGS. 1 through 5 or theflexing elsewhere required. Such materials can include rubber-like substances including fabrics impregnated therewith. Also, any suitable inflating material may be used that can be held pressurized for later expansion in a sealed container adapted to be opened in use by piercing or breaking through the seal. In the present device both relatively high pressure CO and lower pressurized freon type materials have been found suitable for use as inflating material with the present invention. Also, the de vice is adaptable for use with any type expandable flotation equipment such as life jackets, belts, or other expandable structure where a change in external ambient pressure is transmitted to the bellows or piston mechanism to expose the soluble restraint element to the dissolving action of the fluid such as water which releases the mechanism for operation.

Devices in accordance with the herein disclosed invention are susceptible, as will be appreciated, to a variety of changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts contained here- What is claimed is:

1. A pressure-sensitive device for automatically inflating structures when the device is subjected to a predetermined pressure of its outside environment comprising: a housing means having means for operatively connecting to it a container means charged with an inflating material and an inflatable structure, for conveying said inflating material from said container to said structure when said container is opened; container opening means operatively positioned in said housing and actuatable to open said container means; a soluble restraining means dissolvable when in contact with said environment operatively associated with said opening means and restraining it from opening said container until contacted by said environment and pressure responsive diaphragm sealing means biased to a sealed position for maintaining said soluble restraining means sealed from said outside environment until said device is subjected to said predetermined pressure whereby said outside environment is admitted and brought into contact with said soluble restraining means.

2. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said environment is water.

3. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said container opening means is actuated by a biasing 10 means upon the dissolving of said restraining means to open said container.

4. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said pressure responsive sealing means is spring biased to closed position until said device is subjected to said predetermined pressure.

5. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said container opening means is restrained by wedge locking until said soluble restraining means is dissolved.

6. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said container opening means has a hollow container piercing means for conveying said inflating material from said container means into said housing for passage therefrom to said structure.

7. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said diaphragm means is a rolling convolute held against a chamber opening that retains said soluble restraining means.

8. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said diaphragm means has an air bleed opening therein to compensate for pressure discontinuities on the diaphragm when it is compressed when the device is at said predetermined pressure.

9 The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said diaphragm means is rubber.

10. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said diaphragm means is plastic.

'11. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said housing has means for connecting a plurality of container means.

12. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 11 in which there are container opening means actuatable to open each of said container means.

13. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said container opening means has means to manually open said container means.

14. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said inflating material is carbon dioxide.

15. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said inflating material is freon.

1-6. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said soluble restraining means is a paper-like substance dissolvable by said outside environment.

17. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which said outside environment is water and said soluble restraining means is a paper-like substance containing cellulose polymer.

18. The pressure-sensitive device of claim 1 in which the said housing has a breather means operatively connected with the diaphragm means for accommodating changes in external environmental pressure acting there- 19. An inflatable life-saving device for attachment to a wearer and adapted to be automatically inflated when submerged in water to a predetermined depth comprising: a bladder means; means operatively connected to said bladder means for attaching the life-saving device to the body of the wearer; a housing means operatively connected to said bladder means; container means charged with an inflating material operatively connected to said housing means; a passageway means positioned in said housing means between said container means and said bladder means for providing passage of said inflating material to said bladder when said container means is opened; container opening means operatively positioned in said housing and actuatable to open said container means; soluble restraining means, dissolvable when in contact with said water, operatively associated with said opening means for maintaining said opening means in a fixed biased position until said restraining means is contacted by said water and pressure responsive diaphragm sealing means biased to a sealed position for maintaining said soluble restraining means sealed from said water until said device is subjected to the pressure 11 of said predetermined depth whereby said water is admitted and brought into contact with said soluble restraining means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12 FOREIGN PATENTS 959,128 5/1964 Great Bn'tain 9--317 110,668 11/ 1917 Great Britain 9-3 1 8 718,674 9/ 1965 Canada 9-318 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner P. E. SAUBERER, Assistant Examiner 

